Textile and garment import and exports on rise

14 Jun '10

2 min read

Both imports and exports of textiles and garments are on the rise, with the slow improvement of the overall US economy.

After covering the first quarter of this year, the government trade data reveal that, yarn exports increased by 23 percent over the same period in 2009, whereas exports of fabric surged by 19 percent.

During the same time, imports of garments from all the respective sources rose by 11 percent, imports of yarn increased by 18 percent, and fabric imports have risen by 19 percent.

Accounting for nearly 80 percent of the rise in US imports, China continued to lead the garment trade, while trade from the Central America Free Trade Agreement – Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) area surged by 9 percent and imports from Mexico was up 9 percent.

However, in case of Mexico and CAFTA-DR, garment imports entering US duty-free should be made of or must consist of yarn and fabric made in US or other participating nations.

But the US textile producers are concerned about the fact that, majority of the garment import trade with China, was under the 'sensitive categories' of innerwear, knit shirts and trousers, for which import quotas were removed last January.

Whereas the global trade in these categories increased by merely 7 percent and the US imports of those goods from China rose by 55 percent.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk - India

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